These Are Some Of People’s Biggest Wedding Regrets
I’ve been married for almost two years and whenever I look back on our wedding day, there are plenty of things that come to mind that I would change. Many couples who did the wedding thing have wedding regrets, like wishing they hadn’t invited a certain person or making the budget smaller. USA Today surveyed 2,000 Americans who got married between 2021 to 2024 to find out some of the top wedding regrets people share as well as other wedding insights like cost.
Biggest Wedding Regrets
When it came down to it, over half of our respondents (52%) said they spent less than $10,000 on their wedding. 86% said they don’t regret the cost of their wedding, but when we asked what specific regrets couples had, 10% said the total cost was their biggest regret.
Over half (54%) of respondents paid for the wedding themselves, and the majority (69%) used cash. Other payment methods included credit cards (29%) or a wedding loan (2%). It’s worth mentioning that respondents were able to choose more than one answer for this question, so some used a combination of these methods.
Other than the cost, the biggest wedding regrets of those surveyed were scheduling (feeling rushed and/or not having enough time to do everything they wanted), the guestlist (both the size and those invited), and the vendors they chose.
About 20% shared they got cold feet before their big day and even considered canceling the wedding. 42% enjoyed their honeymoon more than their bachelor party, whereas 34% said they enjoyed their bachelor party more. Overall, 51% of those surveyed didn’t have a bachelor party at all.
In their survey, 15% of couples said wedding planning was the biggest challenge of all. When asked how long the entire planning process took them, 40% shared that they did all of their wedding planning in less than four months, and 20% said it took them four to six months. Another 24% planned their wedding in 7 to 12 months, while only 17% took longer than this.
The outlet offered some advice on how to avoid wedding stress and I couldn’t agree more with their suggestions. Some I even followed myself while planning my wedding. If you haven’t already, start saving money as soon as you both can. Even if it means postponing the wedding to the next year, not starting your life together underneath piles of debt is worth it. We had a two-year engagement. It was mainly due to the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020 but we also wanted to stack our funds.
Another important bit of advice is to set a budget and stick to it. It really helped us to prioritize what we thought was important. In our case, we felt strongly about good food and photography. So, we worked a little extra into those parts of our budget.
Take a look at more survey insights and advice here.
Ditching Tradition: A Look At 'Anti-Wedding' Trends
Ditching White Gowns
While most conventional wedding dresses feature white dresses with trains, a new trend has hit the scene. Many soon-to-be brides are opting for dresses with pops of color or even daring to wear the color black. Google Trends had high searches for “black wedding dress” over the past 12 months, CNN reported. In fall 2021 specifically, “black wedding dress” was searched more times than “white wedding dress” on Google. Another traditional gown switch-up is not wearing a gown at all and wearing a suit, or a romper.
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Swapping Veils For Dramatic Capes
More brides are saying goodbye to veils and going to wedding capes. Some brides just don’t find veils to be a comfortable accessory. It can easily be removed without destroying your hair and is perfect for chilly weather. We can’t forget to mention that it adds a majestic timeless feel.
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Quiet Receptions
Keeping it casual is a very bold and anti-wedding move. You can just gather your friends after an elopement and head to a restaurant to celebrate. The key to this is to make restaurant accommodations in advance and to make sure the food tastes good. You don’t want your family and friends to leave disappointed.
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Non-Wedding Activities
You may have been seeing this a lot more at weddings. People are ditching the first dance, cake-cutting, and speeches. Some people are taking a didn’t approach to the typical wedding program and stepping outside of the box. If you’re more into the idea of having board games, forming your own newlywed band performance, or non-conventional forms of activities, you should go for it.
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Minimal Decor
One anti-wedding trend that could save you some coin is scaling back on decorations. There’s always the pressure of making your wedding Instagram-worthy. But with anti-weddings, this isn’t the case. Think low-key set-up with cozy seating with an at-home feel. Some people even go as far as not having chairs at their outdoor ceremony, trading them in for blankets.
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The Chosen Ones Guest List
Keeping your guest list small is another anti-wedding trend to look into. Think about it, the more people mean a bigger venue, more food, higher costs, and higher expectations. A smaller wedding and reception makes it more intimate. It also gives you more options when it comes to budget.
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The Aisle Walk
Some people may dream of recreating the scene from Father of the Bride, but not the anti-bride. Anti-weddings often consist of walking down the aisle solo, with your pet, your mom, both parents, your soon-to-be Mr. or Mrs., or anyone other than your father. The big moment where you truly shine on your wedding day is your processional or the start of the ceremony. It’s the first time your guests and maybe even your soon-to-be spouse, will see you in your big-day attire. So, why not do it the way that you want?
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